- The new Temple Square Visitors' Center opens to the public May 18 with immersive experiences.
- The new center is focused on Christ and features full-scale replicas of temple rooms.
- Salt Lake Temple tour reservations can be made starting Sept. 1 for the Salt Lake Temple Celebration.
SALT LAKE CITY — A new Temple Square Visitors' Center opens to the public next month and will feature new immersive experiences, including full-scale replicas of sacred temple rooms.
The opening of the new center precedes the highly anticipated Salt Lake Temple Celebration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in less than a year, which will feature public tours of the historic temple for the first time since 1893.
The church announced Monday that reservations for those temple tours will be available beginning Sept. 1. The celebration is scheduled from April 5, 2027, through Oct. 1, 2027.
"The new visitors' center is a window into our sacred covenants with Christ," said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
"It helps people of all backgrounds understand the role our temples play and why they matter to our members and to the communities. Here, guests can discover how temple teachings connect to everyday life and uncover the greater context of Latter-day Saint beliefs and commitment to family and Christ," he said.
The church is providing tours of the visitors' center to the media Monday. It will be open to the public on Monday, May 18, and is centered on Jesus Christ.
"Our church leaders really wanted the focus to be on Jesus Christ and the fact that this is his house," said Elder Brent H. Nielson, an emeritus general authority seventy and coordinator for the Salt Lake Temple Celebration. "The visitors' center gives those not of our faith an opportunity to see inside a temple and better understand what happens there."
A feature called "Inside a Temple" features full-scale replicas of temple rooms, including a baptistry, an instruction room, a sealing room and a celestial room.
"The rooms themselves, even though they're not dedicated temple space, they sure feel like it," said Rich Sutton, a senior director in the church's Temple Department. "They're built to the same standards as temples are. And there is a feeling in there that is different. It's peaceful. It's quiet. It's contemplative. It's even worshipful. And it's beautiful."
Reservations for the "Inside a Temple" experience are required and can be made at TempleSquare.org or through the Temple Square app.
A replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen's "Christus" stands in the west wing of the visitors' center. A new marble sculpture by Swiss artist Christian Bolt, titled "Come Unto Me," depicts Jesus extending an invitation of peace and compassion.
The new visitors' center also features a display of 11 built-to-scale miniature temples.
The visitors' center is 39,800 square feet and traces the 179-year journey that began with Brigham Young's 1847 declaration, "Here we will build a temple to our God." The church has been welcoming the public to Temple Square with volunteer guides since 1875, and it continues to be one of America's most visited religious destinations with millions of visitors each year.
The Temple Square Visitors' Center will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and admission is free. Reservations are required only for the 30-minute "Inside a Temple" experience. Free parking is available at the Conference Center with validation.
This story will be updated.
